Recycling products - interactive tool
- How to recycle computers, white goods, phones, batteries and more
- Pick a product to find out if you can recycle it, and how
- Read Which?'s expert recycling tips to make you a more savvy recycler
Got a broken TV to dispose of, or want to know how to recycle batteries, bulbs or an old laptop? Find out how to recycle an array of household products and electrical appliances here.
Select the product you're interested in and we'll let you know if and how you can recycle it, plus share insider tips from Which? experts on how to make money recycling certain products and the range of recycling services available to you.
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| How to recycle | |||
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| How to recycle… | Where to recycle | Which? insider tip | More recycling information |
| Recycle light bulbs | Under the Weee Directive, shops that sell light bulbs must help customers recycle their old energy-saving light bulbs, by paying towards light bulb recycling facilities at a council site, or by offering a free instore take-back service. Most opt for the first option – so check with your local council to find out which recycling sites near you will take energy-saving light bulbs. | Both Ikea and Currys offer an instore take-back scheme for energy-saving light bulbs, which means you can drop off your used bulbs as you pick up your new ones. Remember, you can't recycle traditional light bulbs. | Energy-saving light bulbs review / Which? essential recycling guide / Energy-saving light bulbs - your concerns |
| Recycle DVD player | Shops that sell DVD players must help customers recycle a DVD player by paying towards electrical recycling facilities at a council site, or by offering a free instore take-back service. Check with your local council to find out where your nearest small electrical recycling facility is. Currys offers a free instore take-back service for DVD players. | If you’re also looking to recycle old DVDs, make some extra money using an online service such as MusicMagpie, which claims to be 'the UK's only website for turning your old CDs, DVDs or games into cash'. | DVD players review / DVD recorders review / Blu-ray player review / Which? essential recycling guide |
| Recycle microwave | Shops that sell small electrical goods such as microwaves must help customers recycle their old product, by paying towards small electrical recycling facilities at a council site, or offering a free instore take-back service. Retailers should accept your old microwave at the time you buy your new one or within a reasonable period afterwards, eg 28 days. Most choose to pay into a council scheme, so contact them directly to find your nearest recycling facility. | If your microwave still works, you could use a community recycling scheme such as Freecycle, Freegle or Don't Dump That to offer it to someone else. | Microwaves review / Which? essential recycling guide |
| Recycle mobile phone | You can hand in old mobile handsets to most mobile phone company stores, along with phone accessories and chargers to be recycled. Phone companies including O2, Orange, Vodafone and Virgin Mobile will make a donation to charity when you do. A more lucrative way of disposing of your old mobile is to use an online mobile phone recycling scheme that rewards you for recycling - find out more in our mobile phone recycling guide. | We’ve got more ways to make money by recycling products in our expert guide. | Mobile phones review / Which? essential recycling guide / Recycle your mobile phone / 10 ways to make money by going green |
| Recycle TVs | Shops that sell TVs must help customers recycle their old television, by paying towards electrical recycling facilities at a council site, or by offering a free instore take-back service. Contact your council to find your nearest TV recycling site, or to arrange for your old television to be collected. Or if you're buying a new TV, ask the store if they’ll take away your old set. | If you're looking for a new Sony TV, make money recycling your ageing set with Sony’s TV scrappage scheme. You can get up to £150 off selected Sony Bravia TVs in exchange for your old telly, which will be responsibly disposed of. | LCD and plasma TVs review / Which? essential recycling guide |
| Recycle PCs and laptops | Shops that sell laptop or desktop computers must help customers recycle their old product, either by paying towards electrical recycling facilities at a council site, or by offering a free instore take-back service. Check with your local council to find where your nearest recycling site is. Currys and PC World offer free instore take-back service for PCs. | It’s important that you delete personal data from your computer. Simply deleting your personal files from your laptop isn't effective – use a specialist program to erase your hard drive for good. | Desktop computer review / Laptop computer review / Which? essential recycling guide |
| Appliance recycling | Under the Weee Directive, shops must help customers recycle old fridge freezers, washing machines and other white goods by paying towards appliance recycling facilities at a council site, or offering a free instore take-back service. When you're shopping, ask if the store will take away your old appliance when it delivers your new one. There may be a charge for this. Or contact your council for more information on local services. | The Furniture Reuse Network (FRN) connects local charitable organisations and will accept donations of old white goods and other unwanted furniture. | Fridge freezer reviews / Washing machine reviews / Dishwasher reviews / Energy-saving appliances |
| Recycle oil | Some local recycling centres will accept used engine oil for recycling. Check with your local council to find out where your nearest site is, or go to the Oil Care website and type in your postcode to get a map of your nearest oil recycling facilities. | Make sure your used engine oil isn’t mixed with anything else, as this makes it difficult to recycle. | Car reviews |
| Christmas tree recycling | Look out for temporary Christmas tree recycling centres, which are usually set up in your local area by your council at recycling sites, garden centres and sometimes DIY store car parks. Some councils may collect your Christmas tree from your door as part of their kerbside collections | Alternatively, buy a Christmas tree with roots and replant in the garden for next year, or keep in a pot to be reused come next December. | More greener living advice |
| Recycle paint | Paint can't be recycled, but some council-run recycling sites include facilities for donating your old paint, or you can give it directly to local community projects which reuse paint, like Community Repaint. | If you’re using non-oil-based paint, rinsing your paint brush thoroughly in washing-up liquid and warm water after painting should get it clean. | Which? essential recycling guide |
| Recycle batteries | From February 2010, look out for free battery collection points set up in stores that sell batteries as part of new EU rules. Some council-run recycling sites also include facilities for battery recycling. | Investing in rechargeable batteries is a greener option, as they can be reused rather than thrown away. | Batteries review |
Top recycling tips
1Know your recycling rights
Shops selling electrical products must help customers recycle their old appliances - by paying towards electrical recycling facilities at a council site, or by offering a free instore take-back service. Our full guide to recycling electricals has more details.
2Handy recycling collection points
Look out for free recycling collection points for plastic bags, batteries and energy-saving lights bulbs in supermarkets and shops.
3Make money recycling
You can make money recycling mobile phones, sat navs and MP3 players - our green money-making guide has more information.
4Contact your council about recycling services
If you're over 65, or unable to access local services, contact your council - some offer free bulky waste collections from your door.
5Can it be re-used instead?
If your product is still in working order, see if friends or family could make use of it, or donate it to a community re-use scheme such as Freecycle.
- See our video of where your electrical recycling goes
- Find out more about recycling in our essential recycling guide
- Go further and see how to create a sustainable home
